Waking Up Married(42)

Wish granted!

Only walking through the empty house that had never felt lonely     to him before, he had to concede a week into their marriage that he hadn’t     anticipated getting his wish would suck quite this way.

Midway down the darkened hall, Connor paused, just outside     Megan’s office door. A sliver of light leaked through the seam, and from within     came the quiet yet distinct sound of keys tapping.

She was here.

Turning the knob, Connor opened the door to Megan’s     sanctuary...and discovered his silk-clad morning fantasy staring hard at the     monitor as her fingers assaulted the keyboard in front of her.

The sexiness of her sleep-rumpled look had gone mildly stale     throughout the day, and yet Connor couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was     intense, focused. And bobbing her lovely head ever so slightly to the beat of     whatever she had pumping into her ears through those hot-pink little     earbuds.

Never in a million years would he have expected to come home to     a scene like this if he’d married Caro. She’d have been polished and primped.     Attentive in the distant way he’d become so familiar with. Making small talk,     much as they did with strangers through a cocktail party.

And he’d never have really known—in all honesty, would never     have really cared—where her head was at.

Not like this, he thought with a bemused smile. Right now, he     knew exactly where Megan’s head was. Deep in her work. The project she’d been     waiting on must finally have come in.

Standing unnoticed in the doorway, he considered his     alternatives.

He could walk across the room and take advantage of her     distraction. Pull her blond mess to the side and start with her neck, close his     mouth over the spectacularly sensitive spot behind her ear and work his way     forward from there...

Or he could go order some dinner—because based on what he was     seeing, he’d bet food hadn’t even crossed her mind. And when he took his     kiss...he wanted Megan paying attention.

Running a hand over the back of his neck, he turned away.

“Connor?”

Her voice was overloud and she was staring at him, looking     adorably confused.

He tapped his ear and she pulled the bud from her own.

“Hey, gorgeous. How was your day?”

He’d meant the compliment, but Megan seemed to have taken it     tongue in cheek—her face blanching as her hands went to her hair and then those     silky pajamas that told more secrets than they kept.

Only, then the most interesting thing happened. That flash of     embarrassment faded and something that looked a lot like challenge took its     place. “I get caught up in my work...I lose track. It can be irritating for some     people.”

Ah, more with the disclosures. Whatever it took.

“You near a good stopping point if I call in Chinese?” he     asked, sensing the time to wrap things up would put her in a better place to     break for the night. It was how it would be with him.

“You wouldn’t mind?” Her eyes shot back to his, infinitely     softer than they’d been only seconds before.

“I better not—tables’ll be turned soon enough.” No question.     “I’ll order and grab a quick shower. Meet me downstairs when you’re ready.”

At her slight frown, Connor stopped. “Something wrong?”

“You don’t want your kiss?”

“Oh, I want it,” he assured, giving in to the grin hovering     around his lips. “But not until I’ve got your undivided attention. So wrap it     up.”

* * *

The door closed and Megan stared at her computer,     relieved by Connor’s easy acceptance of her distraction and yet unable to shake     the doubts. The sense that if it wasn’t this that opened Connor’s eyes to a     future he didn’t want, then it would be something else. Eventually.

She didn’t want to think that way. There was so much right between them, and yet, a part of her couldn’t     buy in. A part of her saw the calm mask Connor wore when she showed him     something he, by all rights, ought to dislike—and wondered what lay hidden     beneath.